Youth in No Man’s Land. Immigrant Children on the Outskirts of Madrid

Résumé

This article discusses new processes of disaffiliation (Castel, 1995) among youth in a case study conducted in a disadvantaged neighbourhood of Madrid. Through the study of educational attainment and failure among children of Ecuadorian, Dominican, and Moroccan immigrants, insight is gained into a problem affecting numerous European countries, thus making it possible to identify the resources necessary to combat it. Research shows that the most determining factor in disaffiliation is human capital (Bourdieu, 1970). Likewise it demonstrated that links to ethnic networks can be beneficial as long as they are combined and supplemented with social capital that opens up new opportunities for the youths. This social capital stems from collaboration among intermediary structures (family, ethnic community, associative networks) and is generated in new spaces for participation. These make it possible to find a balance between community solidarity and the youth’s individual freedom.